May 04, 2024  
College Catalog 2024 - 2025 
  
College Catalog 2024 - 2025

Professional Human Services Work Certificate


This certificate prepares students for direct service jobs in human services providing the delivery of services to participants in human service organizations.

* Milestone Courses should be taken in the order shown. This will help you stay on track and graduate on time.

Total Credits: 9


Semester 1 Advising Note

  • CORI/SORI/fingerprints after acceptance to program, before practicum course can be completed are required of all students in program. Those with concerns about this requirement should see the College’s CORI officer before beginning the program.
  • ENG-111  is required at the beginning semester as degree program requires much reading and writing and student must be fully prepared for intense writing assignments in HSV courses.
  • HSV-101  and PSY-101  must be completed in first semester to move onto other HSV courses in subsequent semesters.

Semester 2


Total Credits: 9


Total Credits: 9


Semester 3 Advising Note

  • Career elective choices should fit students human service interests: PSY-233 Intro to Psychiatric Rehabilitation  for those interested in working with developmentally disabled or in mental health care or HSV-215 Introduction to Substance Abuse Counseling . AHE-104  may be used as a career elective in this program, but is a freshmen seminar and should be taken in the first semester and is only allowed for those students still with freshman status and with little or no college experience; if student is transferring or has prior college experience, student should take PSY-233  or HSV-215 .
  • Apply for graduation

Upon Completion of This Concentration Graduates Will Be Able To:


  • Use assessment practices to respond to the needs of participants and enhance these individuals in leading a life that involves self-empowerment, assertiveness, and strong decision-making skills.
  • Communicate effectively and establish collaborative relationships to allow planning, implementation of support services, and interventions with participants, agency supports, and other community resources.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of supports available, while understanding the challenges facing participants, assist in gaining resources for aid, advocate by overcoming challenges and providing supports through community and educational resources.
  • Demonstrate skill in handling crisis prevention, intervention and resolution techniques to solve problems and keep detailed documentation of the process and outcome of each situation.
  • Participate in the life of a human services agency, being familiar with the mission and “best” practices of human services organizations, demonstrating these skills in professional activities.

Career Outlook


Students completing the Professional Human Services Work Certificate Program qualify for generalist careers in social welfare, mental health, community development or other similar human service organizations in the community serving families and children, adolescents, elders or other specific populations in need of services through community programming.

Explore Career Options

Criminal Offender Record Information and Sex Offender Registry Information Checks


As a prerequisite for a clinical placement in the Professional Human Services Work Certificate Program, all students must undergo a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check and a Sex Offender Registry Information (SORI) check. These checks are required due to potential unsupervised contact with children, the disabled, or the elderly during a clinical experience. Students found to have certain criminal convictions or pending criminal actions will be presumed ineligible for clinical placement. The College is authorized by the Commonwealth’s Department of Criminal Justice Information Services, pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 6, Sections 167-178B, to access CORI records. Sex Offender checks shall be performed pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 6, Sections 178C-178P. For more information regarding the College’s CORI/SORI check process, please contact the College CORI/SORI Officer at 617-228-2193.